Title - Diverse lingo leaves train safety in limbo - The Times of India

CHENNAI: A Sajad of Jammu & Kashmir had come to Nellore to find about his friend Riyas A Butt, a victim of the Tamil Nadu Express fire, but couldn't communicate with railway police personnel . They only knew Telugu and he had to use sign language to make his point.

Such problems are common for staff on the vast railway network. Southern Railway has sent suggestions to the railway board in this regard and a few steps have been taken at zonal level but little else has been done. There is no comprehensive language training for safety department staff.

Loco drivers use walkie-talkies to speak to the train's guard and station masters while station masters are in touch with gatekeepers at level-crossings.

"There is a chance of improper verbal communication affecting safety of train operations. Hindi and English are the common languages, but there could still be problems in communication since most of the staff are point-men and level-crossing gatekeepers from local areas who only know the local language," says a paper prepared a few years ago by a Southern Railway official on human element in train safety.

In 2004, two trains collided on a Northern Railway stretch after a miscommunication between two station masters about receiving a train . Station masters may have to speak to one another in an emergency and messages can be misunderstood if they aren't fluent in the language they use.

"Most Southern Railway loco drivers use English. They may not be fluent but manage to get the message across in broken English at least. So, there is no chance of miscommunication due to language causing an accident . But, I have heard regional languages used over wireless," said a loco pilot. Rules say broken language should not be used by safety staff.

The paper suggests a special language course for certain safety category staff in the language of the region they are required to work.

It isn't as if no preventive steps are taken. To prevent cross-talk from causing miscommunication, loco pilots are told to specify the train number and the person they are calling every time they use a walkie-talkie . Safety staff are trained in signal and telecommunications to make them adept at handling emergencies, at zonal training centre in Trichy. Though there are no rules on what to speak on a walkie-talkie , the training tells them to use emergency communication instruments effectively. Loco drivers carry a portable telephone.

Southern Railway chief public relations officer V J Accamma said, "A locomotive is operated by two loco pilots . We ensure at least one of them is proficient in the language of the region through which the train passes."